I Ran Away
by Jeff Gordon
Summary: Years after the defeat of Malefor, Spyro's life has gone from a once great vanquisher of evil, to a mundane peacekeeper for the nation. Desiring for a life as a normal being, an accidental revelation has him walk out on everyone he used to love. 6/9/20 Update: Cancelled.
1. Prologue (1)

I ran away.

I ran away, because of the wretched life I had been cursed with, to be an epic hero. The one where everyone looks at you as their only solution, the one where you must solve everyone's problems, the one where your influence was seen as a seal of approval. A larger than life character that killed any chance of settling into normal life. It was exciting at times, to have the fame surrounding your name. However, speak to anyone who's famous, and it can be just as much of a bad thing as a good thing. I had been forced to switch my life of adventure and discovery, for one of repetition. There was no world left to save, so what was the purple dragon, destined to save the world, supposed to do when that task was complete? The uncertainty in my purpose, I hated it. I wanted to be free, to do something with my life again. I could only take the mental turmoil for so long.

I ran away.

Gone were the days when I could go outside without a care in the world. Gone were the days where I could go fight the next evil villain, fulfilling a destiny that didn't mean anything to me, just to the people who played the damsel in distress. An adventure, a story, where you know and yet don't know how it'll end. The Dark Master, as if he was the realization of a children's storybook, who wanted to destroy the world. For what? Power? Riches? Freedom? Or simply to destroy me? Of course, at the time, I thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I nearly died, and yet survived. A sidekick of mine I was foolish enough to trust after nearly killing me herself, redeeming herself in those final moments. The Dark Master vanished, we survived, somehow. For what? For me to save the pretty girl, the world, everyone I loved, receiving a million, a hundred-thousand thanks, and living happily ever after? I refused. I didn't want to follow the "Happily Ever After" story. I wanted to control my fate now. I need out, and now.

I ran away.

What was wrong? What was wrong with having everyone look at you as the savior of the world? What was wrong with having the love of your life live with you forever and ever? What was wrong with fulfilling your destiny. Living in a new age of peace? Reuniting friends, family, and memorializing the ones who had fallen? What was wrong when everything was right? So who cared if it was like I was living in a cliche adventure novel?

I did, and I hated it. So I did something about it.

I ran away.


	2. 2

It had begun as a small ember, shortly after we had returned from the center of the earth. The final boss had been defeated in his lair, we had truly won, so why did I feel as if I wasn't one hundred percent satisfied? Would I miss the adventure? Would I miss the thrill of having my life on the line? Or was it simply due to a whirlwind of emotions, that I had finally achieved my destiny?

"You did it Spyro", Cynder had said, as our sore bodies coming back to consciousness in the restored grassy fields in the Valley of Avalar. Where the final arc of our adventure had truly begun, just as beautiful as we once remembered it.

"We did it."

She smiled in return, before resting her head back down on the warm grass. Both of us were still quite sore from our final, epic battle against Malefor. A short silence followed before I noticed she had a look on her face that showed she was pondering something. It was as if she had something to say, yet too internally distraught to speak. I made it easier for her.

"Cynder, I heard what you said down there."

She turned back at me, her maw opening slightly and eyes watering, as if in realization. She tried to say something, but I beat her to it.

"I love you too."

She broke down in tears right then and there, the emotions that had gone through her finally bubbling over. I comforted her by wrapping my wings around her, both of them battle scarred with small tears and a multitude of burn marks, scratches, and other miscellaneous marks.

"It's alright Cynder, I'm here, It's all over."

I let her spill out the rest of her tears, sniffling into my neck. They were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy.

A kiss, then another. Three, four, five. Two dragons madly in love, savoring a moment they thought they would've never had. We melted into each other, finally living the moments we had dreamed of.

"Spyro..." she whispered, her eyes full of need, "Make me yours."

I obliged.

The hero had earned its reward, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

If only it had stayed like that forever.

I ran away.

* * *

It must've been one of the grandest ceremonies the still recovering city of Warfang had ever thrown, celebrating the purple dragon, the savior from the evils of the world. A week-long festival of food, fireworks, marches, and appearances by some of the most influential people in the area. Everyone was having the time of their life, no longer living in fear, only looking forward to what the next chapter of their life would hold. I was no different, and while slightly embarrassed over all the attention everyone gave me, I eventually wiped it away with the realization that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I should've known that I would've gone to end up hating events like that.

The speech I had delivered to the city's citizens on the third day of celebrations had been confident and full of energy, giving out my sincerest condolences for all those who had been lost, and ushering in a new era of peace. Yet, it didn't feel authentic, it didn't feel like something I would say. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely did feel for all the tragedies, and was looking forward to taking it slow. However, for every ten words I had wanted to say, only one saw the light of day. To look professional, they had said. Politics were a tricky business when you had become the de facto face of society. "I wasn't a kid anymore", the ice guardian had said, "every word you say will have consequences", whether good or bad.

Politics and wishy-washy "oh we have to respect everyone" could go jump off a cliff. For all, I cared, society could go back to the mess it had used to be in. There were no limits on what I could and couldn't do before, now everything was sectioned off with yellow tape. I should've expected it, I knew I wasn't an ignorant child, that I had to act like an adult now, especially with my status. This, however, was taking professionalism to the most extreme levels, ones I simply refused to follow. It wasn't the life for me, as someone who wore their hearts on their wings.

I had finished my speech to the roar of applause from the crowd in front of me, people chanting my name as I walked away. The guardians gave me comforting smiles. I put away my doubts then, knowing I had achieved what they had sought out for me to complete. My destiny, fulfilled.

Destiny, that accursed word. Fate's evil twin sister.

Cynder looked at me with me a soft smile, in which I returned, as one of the guardians announced the beginning of that night's fireworks. We all admired the beautiful show of color in the sky above, the loud booms echoing throughout the area.

I draped a wing over her, she did the same.

Life felt perfect, or so I thought.

I ran away.

* * *

The ember became a small flame, growing as my new life as a peacekeeper and icon settled in. The guardians had shown me the ropes in negotiations with other nations, all trying to form treaties that would make up for the horrors of war. I wasn't stupid though, I could tell it'd never last. Each nation had its own interests, wanting the advantage to tip the scales to their favor. Negotiations that could've been concluded in weeks dragged into months, everyone at a stalemate in terms of what to give up. "Everything is fine", they had said, "just a few hiccups, it shouldn't take much longer."

It always took longer.

Of course, when I wasn't falling into line behind the guardians, or having a neighboring politician attempts to sway my approval of certain debates towards their side, I was at galas or business parties in my homeland. I had to show up to keep up my appearance, to keep people's confidence in me, apparently.

What was I supposed to do? I had nowhere else to go, and the initial feeling I had to continue serving dragon kind, among others, still fueled me to keep a brave face. I could only do so much though. Every day, a little less of the old Spyro would wake up. I could tell, and I did nothing.

Until I did.

I ran away.

* * *

My relationship had started to burn away from the insatiable hunger of the fire. The affection between us became less and less frequent, both of us consumed by our duties. She had been lucky in my mind, taking up work in the top ranks of the army, helping with the training of some of the best recruits this side of the mountain. Her motivation to stay there had lasted a lot longer than mine with my own line of work.

More often than not, however, we'd each return from respective duties, too tired to do much with each other at night. Dinner would often be silent, just wanting to retire for the night and drift off to the land of dreams. More than a few times, we realized what was going on, and tried making small talk, but in reality, there really wasn't much to talk about. The same old routine, day in and day out.

Before I knew it, the spark in our relationship was gone, almost as if the adventures we had gone on had disappeared from our memories. We were both completely different from what we once were. There was still affection, but there was too much on my mind to have myself put much into it. That was a mistake on my behalf.

I knew I still loved her.

Or did I?

No, I definitely did.

I hoped...

The guardians knew something was wrong, and yet either didn't care enough or thought I could figure it out myself. What had happened to the constant guide ship they had given me before? Was love simply not in the cards for me, or did they simply not know how to tackle the problem? I didn't have nearly enough experience dealing with my emotions to know what exactly was wrong. Yet, they all seemed different than before, especially around me. In my foolishness, I put it on the loss of Ignitus, and they simply had a tough time getting over his passing.

Oh, how I was wrong.

I ran away.

* * *

I could tell I wasn't right in the head anymore as more and more months passed by. Then a year, two, three. I was driving my emotional health off the deep end the longer I stayed within the accursed walls of the still-rebuilding city. Further limited by my duties the more time passed on, I still did nothing to save myself. Sure, you may ask, why did I agree to this line of work, even with all the perks that supposedly came with becoming the face of the people.

I guess I was still high off the adventure, and the fame and fortune I could propel myself to, continuing the legacy I had created. It seemed like a good offer at the time. Yet, I knew I didn't want to do that forever, to be in the spotlight.

With a dragon's lifespan, it was like I had all the time in the world, and yet this short time span had felt like it was sucking out my entire time on this planet. There was no sense of opportunity, no learning new things, no love and support for everyone (even if some did try), just the same old boredom.

I sure do repeat myself a lot.

Somehow, I needed to break away from the cycle.

I ran away.

* * *

The fire that had been growing and growing finally blazed into an uncontrolled wildfire. Just as one would in real life, the spark that it needed was caused by some hapless souls who unknowingly had started it.

It was the eve before the fourth anniversary of The Dark Master's defeat at my claws. I should've been asleep with Cynder, and yet the brightness of two full moons had kept me up. Too many memories of what had gone by throughout my adventures compounded the issue, so the best course of action was to take a stroll through the palace to clear my head.

In the four years that had passed, my body had grown substantially, although not as much as when I was trapped within the crystal. I had grown about a meter in length, and two-thirds of a meter in height. I was glad to have kept my relative slimness however, compared to the bulkier appearance the guardians had. My wingspan had also grown slightly, it's membrane strengthening much more, and the golden horns that adorned my skull had also increased in length. Peculiarly, they had started to curl, almost as if taking the shape of a ram's horns.

It was completely quiet in the halls, and the slow pace I took helped to relax myself. Just as I was heading back to my room, I head faint whispers from around a corner. After taking a closer look, the earth and electric guardians, Terrador and Volteer, seemed to be angrily whisper-shouting at each other.

"I don't know either, you fool! You think I knew he'd survive?!"

"I suppose so...but he's still a normal dragon at heart. It doesn't matter if fate had him to sacrifice himself to save the world."

"And that's the whole issue! He wasn't supposed to have experienced this kind of life! It's in his blood to be an adventurer. We weren't supposed to have explained everything to him. It's impossible to defy one's destiny, and yet he did! I'm surprised the whole world hasn't collapsed on itself by now!"

"Calm yourself Terrador! There is absolutely no need to speak about him like that. So what if he wasn't supposed to survive? We can't keep him in the cycle he's in forever. He'll figure out were hiding something from him soon enough. I wouldn't be shocked if he's already come to that conclusion."

"All I say is that I've seen his shifts in mood over the past year, we're losing the old Spyro."

Their conversation continued for a few more minutes, before both of them separating to go retire for the night themselves. Of course, a whole new scope of revelations for me had myself collapsed on the floor, too shocked to move.

Of course, I should've known this wasn't natural! No sane person would've let me live like this, and yet here I was. Only cared for because they had to. As if they thought I'd be ridden of after saving their lives. Yet here I was, alive, and they were baffled.

Just as I had suspected all this time, only forced to stay within their influence because they needed me. So this was why I had been feeling so unfulfilled. Were all my hopes for naught? Had I really been destined to die from the get-go?

That brought up another question, would they have even cared for me besides the fact that I was destined to care for themselves in turn? Why would they even react like that to my survival in such a way after all this time? I wasn't ignorant enough to know that the future of dragon-kind depended on Cynder and I. Why had they not tried to push us closer together?

I slipped further into self-questions, doubting my whole existence on the cold floor surface. The fire had now consumed my entire being. My old self had completely burned away.

Denial.

Anger.

Bargaining.

Depression.

Acceptance.

They all happened within moments of each other.

I ran away.

Screw destiny. Screw fate. Screw the epic hero that kids were supposed to look up to. I could carve out my own life for myself.

Why didn't I just start my own story?

Why didn't I just start it now?

I could ditch the epic hero facade I had put upon myself, and explore without a care in the world, and make, for once, my own decisions. No need to be under someone else's rule.

There would be consequences for my actions, but not if I didn't return to face them. I was old enough to choose my own path.

Was I brash for leaving on a whim? Maybe.

I didn't care.

As I had said to The Chronicler many years ago, "I have to walk my own path, and do what I know was right."

At least, I hoped I was right...

I ran away.

**I came up with the idea for this story after reading other post-DOTD fanfictions, and considering to myself, "Now what's a scenario that most haven't thought of before?" Thus, Spyro in his own adventure without any supporting characters were shaped into this. Originally I wrote this thinking it would be a one-shot but decided on trying to make a whole story with it. If anyone has any ideas on where the story should go from here, drop a review, please. Thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed this beginning.**


	3. 3

I ran away.

I may have been cruel enough to depart without any warning, but I even at the stage I was, I'd be an idiot to not at least explain what I was doing to anyone.

Sure, there were a lot of things that others could have done, but deep down, I knew it was my fault for not realizing my own issues sooner.

Think of it as taking an extended vacation.

Walking down one of the corridors, I reached my room again, the doors creaking slightly as I pushed them open. Cynder was still asleep in our bed, a neutral expression on her dormant form.

'At least she didn't appear to be having a nightmare again.'

Grabbing a quill and parchment, I wrote her brief note before I left.

To Cynder,

I've realized that I need to get away and discover myself. Some less than ideal things have been revealed to me recently, and I'm not satisfied with the current state of what my life has become. I'm sure you've noticed that by now.

I'm sorry for leaving like this, but my mind is not in a good place right now.

I'll keep myself safe, and that's a promise. One day, I may come back, but for now, take care.

Forever faithful and loving,

Spyro

It was sappy and cliche, but then again, so had the rest of my life been.

Trudging back, I headed out into one of the balconies. The cool, crisp night air, blowing across my sleek form, beckoned me to take the jump outside and fly in the gentle breezes.

Who was I to refuse?

Yet I still thought about my potential actions. Surely, I'd put a lot of people in pain by doing this without warning. Cynder especially, I still had to support her while she relived the terrors she had caused as a former weapon of The Dark Master.

Then again, even if I supported her, she'd have to learn to face her demons herself...someday. I felt terrible in a sense, but my clouded judgment seemed to mask the true impact my actions would cause. I knew I could come back to regret these choices I was about to make and yet felt like I wouldn't at the same time.

The freedom that lay ahead though was too tantalizing to deny. It was so easy to just leave my current life behind. Why had I not done it sooner, even?

"Goodbye, and until next time", I whispered, and took a leap of faith.

Nothing would ever be the same.

The weight of a thousand bricks felt lifted off my shoulders as I took off into the night sky. Stars twinkling high up, glinting off my golden horns, beckoning me towards the horizon. The powerful flap of my blood orange wings propelling me higher and higher into the air. Before long, Warfang was just a skyline behind me.

That brought up another question, where exactly would I head? I knew I wanted to get away, but to where exactly? The Valley of Avalar was the most sensible option, but it was a bit too close for comfort. No doubt the guardians would have a search party out for me by sunrise. The temple seemed like another good choice or the swamps where I could go back and live with Sparx and my parents, but those two were awfully close. I could explore some of the other islands in the surrounding area, but those felt too lifeless in my previous experience for me to entertain myself for long.

There was no chance of heading towards the Munitions Forge, even with the Manweeresmalls there and most likely still remembering all that I had done for them, due to the blazing summer temperatures the area would most likely be basking in. Not to mention, they were supposedly still recovering from the blast of the volcano in the area. Under normal circumstances, I could have gone and helped them out, yet my current situation with only being seen as a savior still left a very bitter taste in my maw. I briefly considered heading up to Dante's Freezer instead. The last of its inhabitants had supposedly cleared out, so it seemed like a good place to scope out and perhaps refind myself again. Then again, that kind of thinking could be the same in the guardian's mind, and I definitely didn't want to go somewhere too obvious to them.

The ice snouts there gave me the creeps anyway.

I had been all over the world throughout my previous adventures...or had I? Surely there must've still been undiscovered lands for me, and perhaps for dragon-kind?. Places that even Malefor had not touched with his influence. I did recall one of the guardians saying that our planet had never been fully mapped before.

Perhaps I'd even meet people who hadn't heard of Malefor before, or even of purple dragons? It was certainly possible.

Speaking of which, how big was this planet anyway?

What else would lie across the oceans, waiting to be discovered?

I could head south towards Tall Plains and then scope out the coast, or even continuing to fly out over the open ocean, to where no dragon had possibly gone before? The conditions would be a lot better down south this time of year anyway, as long as I stayed hydrated. The Atlawas would certainly help me and my cause as well, giving me guidance before I plotted my next move. They had said I was one of them after saving their tribe's homeland many years earlier as well, so it wouldn't hurt to revisit the ones who had the utmost respect for me.

It was definitely the safest option, and the one with the most opportunity.

So I decided and flew towards the southern coast.

* * *

Stopping periodically to hunt for food, water, and to relieve myself, I estimated that it would take full days traveling time to reach the edges of the Tall Plains. The sun beat down on my scales, even in the early hours of the summer morning, as I continued my trek southward. It could be ignored though. Being able to take it slow and observe the scenery with a more careful eye was greatly appreciated. What surprised me the most was just how little civilization seems to spread outside a certain few areas. Besides a few farms and small villages, it seemed mostly empty. It didn't help that much of the land seemed difficult to cultivate.

I did lazy loops and flips high in the sky, firing the occasional homing fireball as well (I still didn't understand how it worked, but I wasn't one to complain) to entertain myself when there was nothing to see on the ground. It gave me the time to ponder what I had just done as well. It still felt cruel to the people I knew, and yet, there was a sense of genuine excitement. I was truly going off on my own adventure. Zero responsibilities at all.

Call me immature from running away from my problems, I frankly had gone through enough in my life to earn some leniency.

Out here on my own, I was just a normal, ordinary soul.

What would I do though when I reached wherever I'd go? I wasn't stupid enough to realize I could live life forever without a job and no place to stay forever. Sure, having a monotone life had driven me to this course of action, but I still wanted to have some sense of purpose.

I guess that was a question to ask myself later on.

The temperate forests and low-lying mountains that had surrounded Warfang had finally given away to grassy fields as far as the eye could see. Morning turned into midday, and then afternoon, to the early house the evening, before I reached the outskirts of the Tall Plains. Hints of vegetation dotted the landscape below me. To the west, a large river that seemed to come in the direction of Shattered Vale flowed south ahead of me.

As the sun began to dip into the horizon, and the tree cover going from scarce to dotting the ground fairly often, I decided to settle in the area for the night. I just had to find something to fill me up first. Even if I felt experienced enough to take down most things in the Tall Plains on my way to the Atlawas, I knew it was better to keep my interactions with wild animals limited.

Then again, my skills might've been a bit rusty after all the prepared food I had eaten back home. Hunting rabbits was one thing, but the armadillos that I'd most likely find here would pose a much greater challenge.

Spending a good hour trying to find one of their balled-up forms, my patience eventually paid off. I spotted three of them underneath a tree, apparently sleeping. Landing quietly in the sun-burned, tall grass, I analyzed them to see how I could take down all three of them at once. Sure, I was outnumbered, but they were only half my size.

The grass rustled as I got ready to pounce.

I jumped.

One of the three armadillos obviously had still been awake, because as soon as I attacked, it immediately jumped back at me. Big mistake, as it's exposed underside allowed me to knock it down with a powerful slash of my claw. It called out to its compatriots, but before it had time to recover from the lunge, I bit down on its neck. Hard. Fangs sinking into its thick, brownish-grey flesh, blood gushed out of its jugular vein, as the coppery taste flooded my taste buds.

I never did like to kill, but it was necessary in the food chain.

The armadillo let out one last wheeze, before slumping to the ground. Tossing it to the side for later, the others had been alerted by now. I narrowly missed a charge from the curled up form of one and the other hissing at me from under the cover of the tree. The first armadillo charged back at me, and I took the brunt of the impact. Before it had a chance to turn around, I ripped it open from its ball formation. Proceeding to choke it out with another powerful bite from my maw, not before receiving a scratch to the face, it struggled and gasped in my grip. A weak squeak escaped it before it too collapsed to the ground.

The moment of distraction I had in killing the second armadillo came back to bite in return. The third armadillo charged at me from behind and nearly knocking me down. However, this one seemed smaller than the other two, and so it luckily didn't faze me nearly as much. Using my tail as a whip, I slapped it across the face, dazing it in return, before again killing it at its neck. It's glowing green eyes showing utmost terror in it, before going out, and it too slumped to the ground.

Silence reigned supreme once again over the night sky. I had a few decent scratches to myself, and my snout was covered in quickly drying blood but wasn't seriously winded. There was still a bit of guilt in taking their lives, but the thought of fresh meat quickly overtook that.

'That was fun', I thought, taken aback by my own enthusiasm for the fight. I really did mean it, after mastering all four elements of mine, my physical combat had certainly taken a downward sing, perhaps relying on the power of my breath too much. Add that to being mostly on hiatus with my training for the past couple of months, such was my busy work schedule, it felt good to brush the dust off my skills.

It was only after I had finished feasting on most of them, that I realized they had been my first large kill for food. I surprised myself sometimes.

Better yet though, I felt alive. I was getting things done on my own, even if it was fairly primal. I was realistic though, things could only get more difficult from here. I had been lucky that they were weaker than I recalled. Maybe it was just that I was a lot bigger than before in my previous interactions with them.

Covering the carcasses with dirt as to mask their smell, I flew off to a eucalyptus tree a few miles away, its branches big enough to support me as I slept for the night. Finding a good balance on one of the thick branches, I again pondered over the now 24 hours that had gone by.

I was sure that the guardians had sent out others to look for me, especially since today was the first anniversary of Malefor's defeat. It was a strange thought, such a huge life event of mine, completely forgotten throughout my trek south.

I guess Sparx had been right, "It's only as important as you make it out to be".

I really was out here to decide what meant something for myself only, and it felt good, relieving even. I did feel a bit sad for everyone I had left though. The guardians were one thing, but my friends and family hadn't really done much wrong.

'They hadn't done much right either', a voice inside my head said.

They would survive. There would be grief and worry among many in the nation, but I had done enough already. I had gone my own way, and it was working out so far.

'You only live once.'

With that, I settled into the tree branch and dozed off under the clear night sky.

I ran away.

**Huh, this chapter went pretty well...I think. I hope the plot isn't being presented a bit sudden and it all makes sense. I do think that the Spyro in this story is a little out of character, but also that it gives a refreshing take compared to the most run of the mill, post-DOTD stories. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Make sure to leave any comments on the story and what you hope for its' future direction. Thanks!**


	4. 4

The sun blazed high up in the sky as I woke up from my perch in the eucalyptus tree. The shade from the many leaves adorning the tree thankfully had kept me cool throughout the early hours of the morning. I may have been "cold-blooded" and as a result, preferred hotter temperatures, but from the refraction of heat I could see in the distance, I could easily overheat myself badly if I wasn't careful.

If a dragon could sweat, I'd have drowned already.

I ruffled out my wings and stretched my limbs, letting out a small yawn as I did so. Luckily, I didn't feel hungry, so I knew that I'd have enough energy to fly towards the interior region of the Tall Plains. Squinting my eyes, the sun's placement in the sky told me it was already approaching midday. Still, plenty of brightness left.

Giving my joints a few more pops and cracks, I jumped down onto the heat-singed grass, the dried up dust sprayed up into the air. It would probably be the best idea to drink up before my flight out in the sun, so I took off to the river I had seen before in the west.

Arriving at the wide and yet shallow river a short while later, I was the only one in that specific area outside of a few grazing bulls. Thankfully, they paid me no attention, and so I was free to savor the surprisingly clear water, lapping it up quickly. Wasting one's energy in the hot sun could be a death spell to anyone out here.

It felt strange to act in such a feral manner, after being so used to modern amenities. Dragons usually were very proud of following tradition, but even they could not pass up some of the more modern societal practices. Sure, there was nothing wrong with what I was doing, but many had shifted somewhat recently look down on people who lived "off the grid", as some called it. Then again, with how long everyone had been in a war, one living outside of a few major hubs could be mistaken for spies, etcetera.

Frankly, I didn't see the whole deal on it. They simply referred to follow their instincts compared to modern society. Then again, I was doing just that, so there was some definite bias on my take.

Continuing to drink up my fill from the river for a few minutes, I pulled my maw away, water dripping off my scales. I took a short dip to clean myself from the dirt and blood that had caked me from last night, then took off into the clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight.

It wasn't until the sun had started to set behind the horizon that I finally reached the tropical rainforest of the Tall Plains, my first official stop in my journey southward. The wind had picked up a little a short while after midday, allowing me to glide most of the distance towards the rainforest. It had also gotten significantly more humid, notifying me that I indeed was approaching the ocean.

The landscape had gone from gentle plains to more hilly, and it wasn't long before many cliffs and plateaus dotted the area. Ironic for a place wholly referred to as "Tall Plains". Climbing higher into the sky as the cloud cover thickened, I finally did reach the massive expanse that was the heart of this tropical rainforest.

Now, to actually locate the tribe of Atlawas. As I had mentioned before, I knew I'd be welcome to stay with them after my previous dabble with the apes in the area. There was no way I could stay out in the open all night trying to find them, considering the Dreadwings that I recalled populating this area. At least I had mastered my ice element this time around. That would make taking down the flying beasts if I ever had to encounter one, a lot easier than relying on fire all the time.

I wondered how Kane was doing?

Hopefully, the Atlawas had kept the Stone Sentinel satisfied in my time gone. I failed to see any peculiar weather for the summer anywhere, so my hunch that they had seemed correct. He really was a pain to defeat my first time around, although I figured it wouldn't be as difficult as before if for some reason I had to challenge him again.

At least, I think he's a guy.

* * *

After another hour of flying and gliding with the updrafts, the sun had now completely set, any hint of light being hidden by the thick tree cover. The earthy scent of the area rather helped me calm my nerves as well. I had a general idea of where I was exactly heading, based on my memories from the last time here, but wasn't exactly sure.

Luckily, before I had to start considering finding a place to sleep by myself for the night, I was able to faintly make out some fires in the distance. Surely that had to be them unless there were some other species that I wasn't aware of living in the area.

Tucking in my wings, I gently swooped down under the tree cover, making sure not to snag myself on one of the thick vines that hung from many of the trees. Not that they would be much trouble anyways, I could easily slash my way out of them.

Coming to stop on the surprisingly dry forest floor near the outskirts of where the fires had come, I could tell that this indeed was an Atlawa community. Even for how late it was, many were still bustling around in the clearing that the main village hub was situated in. I couldn't tell if any of them were Kane specifically, due to how similar they all looked.

Would they even recognize me? I sure did look a lot different from when they had last seen me. When before I was barely at their waist in terms height, I now would actually have to look down on them, if only slightly.

Strolling in closer to the village, they all failed to notice me. To be fair, I was still heavily concealed in the shadows. My best guess was they didn't have as good of eyesight as most dragons did, which was to be expected.

"HALT DRAGON!" a voice yelled out from behind me. Whirling around and snapping my wings over me by instinct, I could see a group of Atlawas, seven of them at most, all pointing spears at me.

"Whoa there, I'm here to cause no harm. I simply wish to see Kane, your leader...correct?"

The Atlawas grumbled, still eyeing me carefully

"What business do you have seeing our chief? It is most unusual for a dragon to come visiting out here ", the apparent leader of the group asked.

Another one continued, "Yes, these places are dangerous, even after the defeat of The Wicked One and his Terror of The Skies. The Atlawas may be a peaceful tribe, but we don't take kindly to the ones who threaten to disturb us." A small wince crossed my features as he said that, I still felt bad for Cynder's reputation she had to endure.

The leader of the group continued from where his comrade had finished, "Yes, in fact, no dragon has visited us since the supposed legendary purple one...his name, I fail to recall…" he said, bringing up a hand to his chin to think. It actually slightly amused me, to see them fail to realize that the so-called legendary dragon was standing right in front of them. I guess I really was correct when I had said they didn't have the best eyesight although, in reality, it was probably the fact that was still standing within the shadows. There was barely any light coming from the village to reveal the color of my scales.

Well, I might as well reveal myself fully now.

Stepping out of the shadows, I broke the silence; "You sure you aren't' talking about me?" I said with a smug grin. Surprisingly, the shocked reactions I expected from them did not appear, only mild raises of their brow from some of them.

"Ah, Spyro, wasn't it!" said another one of them. "It has been so long, it's good to see you again! My, have you grown" he chuckled.

The leader of the group turned around to him, "So this is the dragon, Spyro, you're always reminiscing about Gwatcyn? I expected him to look a bit more...fierce…"

"Hey!" I shot back in mock feign.

"Ah yes, he is nowhere near the same size at Cyril when he was in possession of The Terror of The Skies, but I can assure you it is the dragon who took down The Wicked One."

"You mean The Dark Master, Malefor?" I asked.

"Yes yes yes, if that is what you call him" the Atlawa who had been identified as Gwatcyn, replied. Taking a closer look at him, he did appear to seem a bit older than the rest of the group. It also seemed that he was the only one who personally recognized me, he must've been one of the Atlawas who thanked me when I had calmed the Stone Sentinel.

"He is a great friend of Chief Kane, put down your weapons comrades. Come Spyro, we shall bring you to him. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you, even with all the stresses in his life right now". The rest of the group followed his command, bringing their spears back to their side.

'Whatever you say" I responded, following the group out into the village. So far, so good.

* * *

Kane had a more surprised reaction compared to his fellow Atlawans, but as Gwatcyn had stated before, he was more than happy to see me. He certainly had aged a bit, although nothing too bad, and his gruff voice that I had remembered had softened. The traditional garments that he had worn in our first encounter, were replaced with much more elegant ones that were different from the rest of the tribe. I assumed this had to do with his position of power.

I had never had much time to pay attention to the houses the Atlawans lived inside, but now that I was Kane's house, I could see that it was filled with ancient artifacts, traditional art pieces, and other colorful trinkets that complimented the aged, wooden hut feel of the place. It was a far cry from the clay and rock houses of Warfang, and the simplistic huts in the Valley of Avalar.

What had surprised me the most, however, was the fact that Kane had a family of his own. Even with the amount of care that he had for his tribe, I had never been able to imagine him playing a kind father figure. His mate, Gwyn, was slightly younger and had a surprisingly similar build to Kane. In fact, it appeared the difference between males and females for their species was hardly different, similar to the Cheetahs, and not to dragons, whose females were usually much slimmer than the males. I'd know, I'd had enough eyefuls of Cynder over the years.

I snapped myself out the thought quickly, this was no time to reminisce of the people I had left for a reason.

Kane had two daughters and one son; Regan, Lavena, and Albion respectively. I wasn't very familiar on the lifespan of the Atlawa, but they didn't seem mature enough to be adolescents. They certainly were awed by me too, being the first dragon they had ever seen, and bombarding me with a multitude of questions before their parents shooed them to bed.

Even as the moons in the sky had risen higher and higher, and most of the village had gone to sleep within their respective households, Kane, Gwyn, and I had all stayed up talking, with me mostly explaining everything that had gone on from me leaving with Cyril, until now. It took me hours to finish up my story, with all the questions the fascinated Gwyn had. Kane was more attentive and decided to listen to my tales in a less interrupting fashion.

"So, uh, Kane? Why does this place seem way bigger than before anyways? It seemed like a lot of your people didn't recognize me, even if their reactions were rather subdued…" I asked once we had moved away from the topic of the defeat of Malefor.

"Ah yes, I figure you'd ask that" he responded, Gwyn scooting up a bit closer to him on the traditional carpet they sat on. "You see after you left with Cyril and managed to calm down the Stone Sentinel, a dragon named Ignitus came to us personally, warning us of what the Terror of The Skies was planning to do with The Wicked One.."

"Cynder, you mean."

"Yes, Cynder, I apologize. Once we discovered what Cynder was planning to do, many of the Atlawan tribes decided to band together, In case a larger attack came down on us. Naturally, we had to expand to accommodate everyone, and while difficult at times, it helped the Atlawans immensely in terms of farming and trade with other nations, even if ours is still rather small.

"And of course, that wouldn't have been possible without you, Spyro, we are eternally grateful for the opportunities you ended up pursuing" stated Gwyn with a smile.

"That we are, I still feel bad about the way I treated you when your first came to help" continued Kane.

"It's no problem," I said, "It seems you've mellowed out a lot since then."

He chuckled in response, "Fatherhood does that to you" and we all laughed at that.

After discussing the village and Kane's new roles since many Atlawans moved in, they eventually asked the question I was waiting for...I think.

"So, Spyro, what brings you here anyway? Just checking in to see how we are doing?" Kane asked, putting more kindling into the fireplace as he spoke.

"I wish Kane, but it's a lot more...complicated than that," I said with a grimace, the smile on Kane and Gwen's face immediately faltering as I said that.

"Oh goodness," said Gwyn, "I hope nothing world-threatening his happening again!"

"No no no!" I said frantically, trying to calm down her panicked self while waving my paws, "Everything is fine. It's a more personal reason, actually." This helped calm Gwyn more, but now they both had an even more concerned look on their faces. I continued before Kane could ask another question.

"You see, I only explained everything that happened until we drafted Malefor and returned to Warfang. It turns out, Cynder and I discovered that we...loved each other" I said, sighing and lowering my head.

"Even with all the terror she caused, I'm willing to forgive her from what you've explained, her being under the influence of him and everything" Kane responded, even though you could physically see the distrust he had for her while saying her name. "Why isn't she with you then?"

"Well, that's the result of the issue at hand", from there, I explained everything about my peacekeeping duties in Warfang, the mental hardships I faced, the cracks that formed in Cynder and I's relationship, all the way to the fateful moment two nights ago that drove me to abandon everyone and listen to my adventure-seeking soul.

Kane pondered the information that I had told him, before finally responding.

"Well, Spyro, I certainly can't say that I'd...agree, with your actions. That's a very dangerous game your playing, especially with how close the guardians and your mate were to you, even if you don't feel like that anymore. However, I do believe you're old enough to have to judge those decisions yourself, and thus, I wouldn't stop you" Kane finished, a slightly disapproving look on his face.

"I understand Kane, I'm not particularly proud of how I left, but it was just a gut feeling. I left a letter for them saying I would most likely come back, even if I didn't give an exact timeframe."

"Well Spyro," said Gwyn, "I'm going to be very honest with you. Abandoning the ones you love like that is probably one of the worst things you can do, and for that, I'm not very proud. We all know that even with the issues you faced, you could've handled that a lot better."

"I understand," I said with a slump of my head. I wasn't surprised, to be honest, that they would react like that.

"However" she continued, "Kane is right, we can't decide what you should and shouldn't do. That is up to you to figure out."

I could feel the shame of what I had done come down on me, and yet, still had the feeling that it was the right thing to do. Why I couldn't explain. I put it up on my still fragile and recovering mental health.

"So, where do you plan to go from here then?" said Kane. "Do you want to stay in the village for a while?"

"Honestly, I'd love to lay low here for a while, but with how much ground some could cover looking for me, I say I'm still not safe. My goal was to go where no dragon has gone before, and just to discover new places. The maps in Warfang only cover a certain distance, and I'm certain there's more to see than what's already been revealed to me."

"I see, I see…" replied Kane, bringing a hand to his chin. He pondered on the subject for a while, myself fidgeting with the corner of the carpet in the long silence.

"Well, if you're looking for a place that most haven't heard of before, you should definitely keep heading south, towards the equator."

"The equator?" I asked.

"Yes, just a fancy word for the midpoint distance between the north and south pole, if that makes sense. If you head south from here, it should be less than a day traveling time to reach the coast of our land. From there, I'm not exactly sure what lies ahead, but the weather is quite calm this time of year, and many islands dot the ocean apparently from what I've heard from others. Whether that is credible or not, I cannot guarantee. All I can say is, I do believe there are societies we have yet to meet."

"You wouldn't supposed you'd know why no one has gone out to explore further south from this area?"

"Unfortunately, no. With a dragon of your capability though, I'm sure you'd be able to fly far enough if you didn't see enough land for a while."

It sure did seem tantalizing, going completely out into the unknown. That was what I had wanted when I had left, right?

"You know, it's the least I can do as thanks for what you did with the Stone Sentinel. Stay with us for a day or two, and we'll look in our archives for any hints of what lies further beyond. It wouldn't be healthy for you to travel that far, on top of the two days of flight you've already had" said Kane. "For now, we should rest, it is rather late, an I have quite a few things to take care of tomorrow."

He had a point, we had been talking for hours.

* * *

Gwyn was kind enough to guide me to the guest room before puffing out the candle lights that lined the walls. The bed was insanely comfortable, and it wasn't until I lay down on it that I realized how tired I was.

The past 48 hours had been a whirlwind, but I was glad that I was at least enjoying myself again. The sense of discovery was beginning to return, and I was more than glad to let it reignite.

'The adventure continues' I thought, before dozing off to the sound of crickets, the faint echo of a waterfall in the distance.

**Woo! Unofficially, my final day of normal high school, and last day of classes! I got a good direction of where this story is going to go now, so that's a plus. Again, any recommendations or errors I have in my story, comment on that to let me know! I respond to all reviewers of my stories! Again, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and have a good day.**


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